Matt Hankins/ Emerald
Keith
Hazleton and dance instructor Denise Steele swing
out Saturday night at the EMU ballroom to the retro
song stylings of Indigo Swing.
By Jeremy
Lang
Oregon Daily Emerald
The
joint was jumpin', as they say, on Saturday night.
The
San Francisco-based group Indigo Swing made sure the
EMU Ballroom stayed that way all night long. Both
experienced and first-time swingers came out in full
force for the event, part of the Duckfest
celebration to welcome back students.
The
packed ballroom proved that swing is back and very
alive in Eugene.
"Swing
is really an American art form," said Denise
Steele, who led a dance lesson before the free
concert. "The clothes, the music and the dance
are all part of an artistic era."
The
floor was packed front to back prior to the show for
dance lessons. Steele ran the crowd through a basic
six-step lindy hop, one of the many styles of dance
that helped define the big band, jazz style of the
1940s swing era.
"Ever since I saw the movie 'Swing Kids,' I've
wanted to learn," Scott Shoji said. " I
just didn't know where to go."
Like
many first-time dancers, Shoji was influenced by the
growing popularity of the swing style in movies,
music and even commercials.
The
contemporary swing movement of the 1990s began
creeping its way back into pop culture when the jazz
band Squirrel Nut Zippers broke into modern radio
with the song "Hot." That opened up the
path for swing club acts such as Big Bad Voodoo
Daddy and Cherry Poppin' Daddies.
Other
bands, such as Indigo Swing, have continued to
experiment with swing, jazz and rockabilly,
expanding the contemporary swing sound.
But
Steele still sees room for musical growth.
"Count Basie played to the dancers, giving them
good tempos," said Steele, referring to a
founder of the original swing movement. "The
contemporary acts aren't quite used to that
yet."
Unlike
many contemporary swing bands, which use a full horn
section, Indigo Swing relies on a single tenor
saxophone. A piano and stand-up bass control the
six-man band. For fans of the group, that's what
sets them apart from other swing acts.
"They're
full-time swing musicians who are pushing the music
back to its natural form," said Morris
McClellan, who has seen Indigo Swing perform in
Portland.
McClellan
and many others dressed up for the occasion, while a
handful of people took it a step further, donning
fedoras, suspenders and clothing from the 1940s
swing era.
"Looking
the part is half the battle," Matthew Kakstys
said. "But the baggy pants and leather shoes
are popular because they're practical as well. You
need something comfortable to dance in."
By
11 p.m. the crowd had dwindled and the atmosphere
was more relaxed. Those that remained had loosened
their ties, unbuttoned their shirts and started
improvising dance moves.
For
many, swinging is also a way to relax and unwind.
"It's pretty hard to think about your
day-to-day problems when you're moving that fast, to
a beat, with a smile on your face," Kakstys
said.
That's
one of the main reasons the contemporary swing
movement shows no signs of slowing down. But nobody
is sure if it will continue or how it will evolve.
"It's
all very exciting," McClellan said. "But
whatever happens, I'll continue to dance for the
pure joy of it."
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